Legal Insights
Plain-language guides and case briefs on Philippine law — researched from the firm's law library of 184,000+ statutes, Supreme Court decisions, and agency issuances, and written so non-lawyers can understand and act on them.
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Continuing Security: How Future Debts Can Affect Real Estate Mortgages in the Philippines
The Supreme Court explains how a real estate mortgage can secure future loans, not just the original debt, through continuing guaranty clauses.
Blanket Mortgage Clause: Redemption Rights and Foreclosure Limits Explained
Learn how a blanket mortgage clause affects redemption rights, future loans, and foreclosure obligations under Philippine law.
Piercing the Corporate Veil: When a Corporation Cannot Escape Its Loan Obligations
The Supreme Court explains when courts may disregard corporate fiction to hold a corporation liable for loans received by its affiliates and alter egos.
Sugar Mill Loans: When Contract Terms Define Government's Right to Recover Funds
Supreme Court ruling on condonation scope in sugar mill loans, clarifying when banks and government can apply deposits to unpaid obligations.
SPV Law Notice Requirements: Protecting Debtor Rights in Asset Transfers
Learn how the SPV Law's notice requirements protect debtors when banks transfer non-performing loans to special purpose vehicles.
Mortgage Validity Securing Loans VS Covering Unsubstantiated Debts
Behest Loans and the Ombudsman’s Discretion: Balancing Justice and Due Process in Government Transactions
The Supreme Court upholds the Ombudsman’s dismissal of behest loan charges, reinforcing the principle of non-interference in prosecutorial discretion.
Unmasking Behest Loans: Government's Right to Recover Ill-Gotten Wealth Supersedes Prescriptive Timelines
The Supreme Court clarifies that behest loan offenses prescribe only upon discovery, reinforcing the government's power to recover Marcos-era ill-gotten wealth.
Behest Loans and the Ombudsman: Probable Cause, Prescription, and the Romualdez Ruling
The Supreme Court ruled that the Ombudsman gravely abused its discretion in dismissing behest loan charges for lack of probable cause and prescription.
Upholding Due Process: The Limits of Retroactive Application in Behest Loan Cases
Supreme Court affirms Ombudsman's dismissal of behest loan charges, clarifying that administrative orders defining behest loans are not penal laws and cannot retroactively criminalize past transaction
Behest Loans and Prescription: When Does the Clock Start Ticking
The Supreme Court clarifies when the prescriptive period for behest loan cases begins, ruling it starts upon discovery, not execution.
Behest Loans and the Statute of Limitations: When Does the Clock Start Ticking
The Supreme Court clarifies when the prescriptive period for behest loan offenses begins, and what evidence is needed to prove them.
Behest Loans and Prescription: Timelines for Prosecuting Corrupt Practices in the Philippines
The Supreme Court clarifies when prescription begins for behest loan cases under RA 3019, and when courts defer to the Ombudsman's findings.
Unconscionable Interest Rates Protecting Borrowers From Excessive Loan Charges
Philippine courts can void excessive interest rates and reset loans to the legal rate. Learn how the Espiritu v. Landrito ruling protects borrowers.
Equitable Mortgage in Philippine Law: When a Sale Is Not Really a Sale
Learn how Philippine courts treat contracts that appear as sales but are actually loans secured by property, and what equitable mortgage means for property owners.
Interest on Loans and the Necessity of Written Agreements for Enforceability
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on double sales, good faith, and why written contracts matter for property and loan enforceability.
Bank Set-Off Rights: Limits and Liabilities in Loan Agreements
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on when banks may validly offset deposits against loans, and the limits of contractual set-off rights.
Behest Loans and the Ombudsman's Discretion: When Courts Refuse to Intervene
The Supreme Court affirms the Ombudsman's dismissal of behest loan charges against DBP officials, underscoring the wide discretion given to the Ombudsman in determining probable cause.
Interest on Interest in Philippine Mortgages: The Cuyco Case Explained
The Supreme Court explains when unpaid interest earns further interest in mortgage foreclosures, and when future loans need not be secured.
Personal Liability for Business Debts: Surety and Co-Maker Obligations in Philippine Loans
Learn when Philippine courts hold corporate officers personally liable as sureties or co-makers on business loans, based on a Supreme Court ruling.
Equitable Mortgage vs Absolute Sale: Protecting Your Property Rights in the Philippines
When is a deed of absolute sale actually an equitable mortgage? Philippine law protects borrowers who sign sale documents to secure loans.
Presidential Power Limits on Foreign Debt Contraction in the Philippines
The Supreme Court clarifies the President's power to contract foreign loans, including debt buybacks and bond conversions, under Section 20, Article VII of the Constitution.
Dragnet Clauses in Mortgages: Limits on Securing Future Debts with Existing Collateral
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies when a dragnet clause in a real estate mortgage covers future loans, and when separate security prevails.
Breach of Trust When Personal Loans by Court Personnel Undermine Judicial Integrity
Court stenographer suspended for borrowing from a litigant with a pending case—why withdrawal of the complaint did not erase liability.